Method for packaging sausage patties



June 28, 1960 R. F. BEEREND METHOD FOR PACKAGING SAUSAGE PATTIES Original Filed Jan. 20, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENIT-OR. FAN E flares/v0 ATTONEV June 28, 1960 R. F. BEEREND uscmon FOR PACKAGING SAUSAGE PATTIES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Origin al Filed Jan. 20, 1955 Jappn arm: pzcsues INVENTOR.

FAY E flares/v0 Arrae/VEY June 28, 1960 R. F. BEEREND 2,942,987

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June 28, 1960 R. F. BEEREND 2,942,9 7

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BY M, Mr 4 14 A rramvevj United States Patent METHOD FOR PACKAGING SAUSAGE PA'ITIES Ray F. Beerend, 845 State St., Vermilion, Ohio Original application Jan. 20, 1955, Ser. No. 482,969, now Patent No. 2,814,921, dated Dec. 3, 1957. Divided and this application Apr. 22, 1957, Ser. No. 654,325

3 Claims. (Cl. 99-174) This invention relates to a method for packaging sausage patties or the like.

The present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 482,969, filed January 20, 1955, now United States Patent 2,814,921, which is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 384,200, filed October S, 1953, now abandoned.

Using a conventional sausage stuifing machine as a means -for supplying the plastic sausage meat under pressure, I receive the meat into the openings of a mould slide as the slide reciprocates over the meat supply port. The openings will be filled in the retracting movement of the slide.

At the extreme position of advance of the slide, it is allowed to dwell over the uppermost carton blank in a stack .of blanks. While the slide dwells over the stack blanks, a group of ejector dies descends through the openings of the slide to eject the individual'patties onto the top blank of the stack.

Whereas the device of my former application 384,200 was manually operated, the present deviceoperates automatically to complete a single cycle each time the control lever is tripped .by the operator. In addition, there are specific improvements in the packing for the mould slide. No claim is made in the present application to the pneumatic control valves per se. i

The pressure support for the carton blanks holds the uppermost blank in the stack against a stop at a spacing which is below the slide to an extent which is at least equal tothe thickness of the individual patties. Hence, as soon as the ejector dies are retracted from the slide, the slide is free of the deposited patties 'for retraction across the filling zone to initiateanother cycle of operations. Meantime the carton blank with the patties deposited thereon is withdrawn and flaps thereof constituting the sides, ends and bottom of the carton are folded over the patties to complete the enclosure thereof. The

finished carton is then turned to upright position. The

panel portion upon which the patties are deposited is actually the top of the finished carton. It is desirably windowed so that the patties enclosed in the carton are displayed through the window.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of apparatus vention.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view taken in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. ,1.

Fig. .4 is a view of the device in end elevation, portions being broken away.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view taken in section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

embodying the in- Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view taken in section on 2,942,987 Patented June 28, 1960 Fig. 8 is a detail view taken in section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a detail view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is a diagram of the fluid circuit connections.

Fig. 11 is ,a fragmentary view of the mould slide in perspective.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view of a modified embodiment of the mould slide as it appears in perspective.

Fig. 13 is a view in perspective showing the workpieces embodied 'on the carton forming blank.

Fig. 14 is a view of the completed carton as it appears in perspective.

My device is designed as an attachment for the filling nozzle 9 of a sausage stufiing machine which is adapted to supply sausage meat under pressure, as trom a feed screw (not shown). To the nozzle 9, I attach the pressure head 10 of my apparatus by means of capscrews 11 or the like.

The pressure head 10 is carried by a plate 12 as best shown in Figs. 3 and 5. This plate fits closely between the upstanding flanges 13, 14 of a base member 15 supported by legs 16, 17. Screwed to the upper margins of flanges 13, 14 are plates 18, 19, 20, 21 (Figs. 1, 5 and 6, respectively) carrying set screws 23 adjusted into pressure engagement with pads 24 in the cover plate 12 to exert any desired downward pressure on plate 12. In addition, the plates 18, 19 are provided with headed dowel pins 25 engaged in sockets 26 of the cover plate 12 and manually withdrawable from such engagement against compression of springs 27 (see Fig. 6).

Under pressure of the set screws 23, the plate 12 tightly engages the upper surface of the mould slide 30 which is reciprocable in the channel provided by the base member 15 and its upstanding flanges 13, 14. An appropriate liner is desirably provided at 31 to minimize the friction between the slide 30 and the base member 15. The liner is positioned by upstanding lateral flanges 32, 33 and depending end flanges 34 which engage the ends of the base member 15 as best shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 6. The liner or packing sheet 31 may be of any appropriate material. I have found Bakelite to be a good material for the purpose, as it not only provides tight packing but reduces friction in the movement of the slide.

The slide 30 is provided with mould openings at 35 i the openings 35 of the slide as best shown in Fig. 3, and

has beveled margins at 33 around each such opening so that the pressure of the material supplied through the pipe 9 to the pressure head 10 is directed against this beveled surface to hold the packing member 37 in intimate pressure engagement with the upper surface of slide 30.

The slide 30 and the correspondingly apertured packing member 37 (as well as the ejector dies) are readily interchangeable when it is desired to make workpieces of different dimensions. An alternatively usable slide is fragmentarily illustrated at 300 and it will be observed that the openings 350 therein are quite radically different in size and shape from the openings 35 in slide 30 as shown in Fig. 11. It will be understood that for each type of opening provided in slide 30 there will be a correspondingly apertured packing member 37 desirably having, in all instances, beveled margins at 38 about the openings therein provided.

Dismantling of the machines for cleaning or for the interchange of slides, requires only a few moments, since cylinder 63.

' controlledport 84. The

- at the corresponding ports in the packing membe'r 37. As the 'slideadvances from the retracted position shown in Fig. 3 to the'delivery position shown in Fig. 1, its apertures register with the normally elevated expulsion dies 40 which are carried by a cross head 41-mounted on ;plunger *42. -As these Edies descend from the elevated position in which they are shown in Figs. 2and :3 to'the loweredgposition of Fig. 4, they v:pass through the open- ?ings 35 in the mould .slide 339 :(or 390) to expel :the workpieces =45 therefrom.

in the ,preferred embodiment of the invention, win- 'dowed .carton blanks 46 are mounted, face :down, in-a pile on the spring-supported table 47. This table is carfried by'p'arall' el links 48, 49 and is biased upwardly'by spring meansat 50 (Fig. 3.). Suitable guid'earmsi52, 53 hold the carton blanks in registry to receive the several workpieces on their :inner windowed surfaces as best shown inFig. 13. When the end Walls 54, 5 and the side walls 56, 57 of the blank are erected and the back flaps 58, '59'interlock about the workpieces or patties 45, the carton will be inverted to make apackage asshown in Fig. 114, with the workpieces or patties 45 visible through the window 46'. In each operation time machine, a complete :filling of workpieces will be deposited on a blank. During the retractive movement of the'mould slide, the operator will remove the blank and erect and close it about the workpieces to the form of Fig. 14, leaving the next successive blank exposed to receive a subsequent chargeot workpieces in the next cycle.

'lhe cycling of the machine is manually initiated by a v:

rn'eans of control leverll which is shown in full linesin its normal position in Fig. 4 and appears in broken lines in'the position in'wln'ch it is manumly depressed by the toEthe valve Lhousing 61,-such connection being provided by passing a screw 62 loosely through an aperture in the level- 69. Air applied under pressure through thepipe '63 is admitted through vent 64 to 'a cylinder 65 inwhich there is a piston 66 which not only supports the lever 69 but also supports the "valve piston 67 in the valve Valve cylinder 68 has an air pressure inletport at "69,

event at Yd-and acontrolled air port at 71. In the normal elevated position of the'valvepiston '67 shown diagrammatically in Fig. '10, the duct 72 through the valve piston 67 maintains the controlled'port 71 incommunic'ation with the vent'port 70. When the lever 60 is depressed from the position shown "in Fig. '10 against the pressure of the air in cylinder 65, the valve duct 73 places the pressure 7 port 69 in communication'with the controlled port 71 to deliver pressure through a line 75 to the cylinders 76 and 77. Having thus manipulated the lever 68, the operator will release the lever and the machine will thereupon complete a cycle of operation-automatically without further attention on the part of the operator.

The pressure thus admitted to the 'cylinder'76 will act on the piston 78 to advance valve piston 79 and valve cylinder 88 from the retracted position shown. Valve cylinder '84) has a. pressure port 81 constantly supplied with pressure through line 32 from the air supply line 63. It h'as'avent at 83 and controlled ports 8-4 and 85. There 7 are cross connecting ducts 86 and E7 in the piston which,

in the normally retracted position ofthe valve piston '79 place pressure port 31 in communication'with controlled port 8'15 andplace vent port 83 in communication withcontrolled port 34 communi- 'end of the slide.

cates through duct 89 with port 9 1 of a reversing valve cylinder 92 equipped with avalve piston 93 normally retained in retracted position of Fig. 10 by means of a compression spring 94 acting on the valve stem 95. Duct 89 also communicates through branch duct 96 and crossconnection duct 97 with the end. portions of the cylinders 98 and 99 in which the pistons "100 are reciprocable for the operation-bf the m'ould'slide30or-any substituted' slide 300. The pistons 100 have piston rods ltllrconnected together'by a crosshead 102 detachably screwed to the rear ()ne 'of the piston rods has a valve actuator 164 'whic'h, in practice, takes :the form of a'collar shown in? i g. l but is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 10 as a laterally projecting arm. This valve actuator is so positioned thatin the eitreme'inner'position of the slide 34 it will engage the valve stem 95 to move the valve piston 93 from the retracted position of Fig. 10 to an advanced :position in which .the air supply connections through the controlled port of valve cylinder i92=will ibe reversed. Port v105 normally communicates through valve duct "196 with vent 207. When the piston-93 is advanced by the operation of valve actuator 1 0 4, the Icr'o'ss duct 103 of the piston'places the control port 105 in communication with duct 91, whereby pressure is 'admittedtothe line 197 leading-to the port 1138 of knockout valve cylinder 109.

' 'In'the illustrated retractcd position of the valve piston 110, the 'valve cylinder 109, the cross duct'111 in piston place port 108 in communication with controlled port 112 from which duct 113 leads to the lower endof ram cylinder 114 in which piston '115 is mounted onthe plunger '42 of the cross head 41 which carries the knockout dies 40. In the position in which the parts are illustrated, thepressure communicated to the various valve 'arrangemen'tsdisclosed has elevated'the piston 11 15 cylinder 114 so that the knockout dies are in retracted position. At the same time, the upper end ofknockout cylinder '114 is vented through line 116 and valve'duct I17 arid vent port1'1'8 of the knockout valve cylinder1'09.

However, as already noted, the illustrated position of piston '110 is n'ot'the position in which suchpiston is disposed in cylinder 109 at this stage. Operation of the manual control lever 60 and admission of pressure to line 75 has not only elevated piston 78 in cylinder 76 but has elevated piston 119 in cylinder 7 7,'wher'eby valve 110 has been advanced from the positionshown inFig. 1010 aposition inwhichthe cross connection ducts '120 and '121 are effective to connect'line 116 to'the vport 108 and vent duct 11 8 with'port 112. Thereby the vent 118 is not connected with'line 116 but with-line 113.

Accordingly, atthe time the valve piston 93 isjdisplaced in cylinder 92 by the movement of the mould slide, the knockout valve connections are such that the pressure admitted to the line 108 is communicated through line 116 to the upper end of cylinder 114 to move the knockout die plungers 40 downwardly to discharge the workpieces onto the package -blanks,-as already described.

When such discharge is complete, a valve actuator carried by plunger 42 strikes the valve-stein 126 to depress it "against the spring 127 whereby to displace the piston valve 128 in cylinder 129 from the retracted'positionin which the parts are illustrated in Fig. 10. In the store pressure connection to line 113, whereby the knockout plungers 40 are retracted.

The line 113, now subject to pressure, has a branch 140 leading to the port 141 of valve controlled cylinder 142. The piston 143 in this cylinder is normally advanced by compression spring 144 about the stem 145, and is in the path of retractive movement across port 141 so that the retractive movement of the knockout plungers 40 will ultimately move the valve piston 143 to the position illustrated in Fig. wherein the cross connection duct 147 places port 141 in communication with the control port 148 leading to line 150. In the normal position to which valve piston 143 is advanced by its spring 144, the cross connection duct 151 of the piston registers with port 148 and with vent port 152 whereby line 150 is vented.

Admission of pressure to line 150, consequent upon full retraction of the knockout dies 40, supplies pressure to valve controlled cylinder 153 to advance the piston 154 therein to the position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 10. This will vent lines 89 and 96 and will admit pressure to line 90 which leads to the outer ends of cylinders 98 and 99, whereby the slide 30 will be retracted to its original position, thus completing the cycle in readiness for initiation of another cycle by a subsequent manupulation of the control lever 60 by the operator.

Reference characters used on the parts shown in the diagram of Fig. 10 have been applied, where applicable, to the mechanical structure. However, it should be noted that the mechanical structure is not necessarily identical with the diagram and, since the mechanical structure of the valves is not claimed per se, it is unnecessary to the present application that it be described in detail.

The several vents are desirably connected to pass through a discharge stack 160 which may also comprise a silencer. The cross connecting ducts which, for the purposes of the diagram, are shown within the valve pistons 79 and 110 may, in practice, be built into the 7 diagram, Fig. 10, may actually comprise bores as shown, for example, in the case of the cylinders 92, which, in practice, constitute a bore at the head of the cylinder 98, as shown in Fig. 7.

As in the device of application 384,200, the knockout or ejector dies are desirably heated to prevent the material from adhering thereto. This is accomplished by the provision in the cross head 41 of a resistance element shown only in dotted lines at in Fig. l and having electrical wiring connections 166 as indicated in Fig. 2.

I claim:

1. A method of packaging patties in a windowed box, which method comprises stacking a plurality of inverted blanks from the topmost of which blanks such box may be formed, moulding a series of patties, ejecting the moulded patties from the mould onto a windowed face of the topmost inverted blank, erecting and closing said topmost blank about the series of patties discharged onto such face to form a box and thereafter inverting the box to disclose the patties through the windowed face upon which they are deposited.

2. A method of producing a package of patties, such method comprising the steps of reciprocating an apertured mould between one position in which the mould is aligned with a source of patty material and in which the mould apertures are filled and another position in which the filled mould overhangs an inverted box blank, ejecting patties from said mould onto said box blank in a direction transverse to the direction of mould reciprocation, withdrawing the emptied mould from over the box blank and thereafter forming the box blank about said patties.

3. A method of producing packages of patties, such method comprising the steps of stacking windowed box blanks in inverted position, -forming patty material into patties in a mold, depositing molded patties directly from the mold onto the successive box blanks which are uppermost in the stack, and forming respectively about patties deposited thereon from said mold, the successively uppermost box blanks upon which the patties are deposited.

Vogt Feb. 6, 1934 Bonini Mar. 29, 1949 

1. A METHOD OF PACKAGING PATTIES IN A WINDOWED BOX, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES STACKING A PLURALITY OF INVERTED BLANKS FROM THE TOPMOST OF WHICH BLANKS SUCH BOX MAY BE FORMED, MOULDING A SERIES OF PATTIES, EJECTING THE MOULDED PATTIES FROM THE MOULD ONTO A WINDOWED FACE OF THE TOPMOST INVERTED BLANK, ERECTING AND CLOSING SAID TOPMOST BLANK ABOUT THE SERIES OF PATTIES DISCHARGED ONTO SUCH FACE TO FORM A BOX AND THEREAFTER INVERTING THE BOX TO DISCLOSE THE PATTIES THROUGH THE WINDOWED FACE UPON WHICH THEY ARE DEPOSITED. 